


Cubs vs. Reds

by The Happy Hufflepuff (ijustthink)



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Max is a catcher, and Dustin and Lucas are her sports comentators, baseball fic, because I’m still salty no one played baseball this season, this is light and fluffy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-03
Updated: 2019-12-03
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:01:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21657979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ijustthink/pseuds/The%20Happy%20Hufflepuff
Summary: “They were really big into the whole “discussion” aspect of liking sports. They loved statistics, and trivia, and arguing with each other about things that made them feel less nerdy for liking them, or sometimes secretly even more nerdy which was ok too.”
Comments: 2
Kudos: 2





	Cubs vs. Reds

No one in Dustin or Lucas’ group of friends had ever been very athletically inclined. They would occasionally go throw a frisbee around in the park or play catch together if the weather was nice, but nothing that could get them onto the school’s team or anything. This was fine with them, they were perfectly content being spectators. They preferred it actually. They were really big into the whole “discussion” aspect of liking sports. They loved statistics, and trivia, and arguing with each other about things that made them feel less nerdy for liking them, or sometimes secretly even more nerdy which was ok too.

The problem was there had never been anyone they felt comfortable spectating. Until this spring, when Max mentioned excitedly at lunch that she had made it onto the Hawkins Middle School Softball team. They had been practicing for a couple weeks now and this afternoon would be the teams first official game. Finally, they had a reason to loiter by the sidelines and do their best impressions of TV sports commentators! Dustin and Lucas walked their bikes over to the diamond around the bottom of the second inning. They were already deep in a heated conversation about the principal of liking something simply because it’s “the underdog.”

“Why would someone willingly root for a team with the nickname, ‘The Loveable Losers’ it’s just pathetic!” Lucas rolled his eyes, already tired of having this argument. 

“Not as pathetic as refusing to admit your team came down from their hot streak over five years ago.” Dustin quickly countered and dropped the kick stand on his bike next to the sand box in back of home plate. He grabbed his binoculars from his backpack and started searching for Max.

“It wasn’t a ‘hot streak’ it was a dynasty! And we still have three of the Great Eight on our team! Including Pete Rose!”

“Pfft. Yeah as manager.” Dustin mumbled under his breath, still peering through the binoculars for their friend. Lucas pushed them away from his eyes and pointed subtly to the catcher on the field. Her hair was mostly covered by head gear, but the short tufts of bright red peeking out from her helmet were unmistakeable. The boys looked at each other and smirked, planting themselves down behind the protective fence of home plate.

“Whatever. At least the Reds have a chance at winning the series. Face it, your team is cursed.” Lucas said, plucking a dandelion out of the ground and tying the stem into a knot. 

“Not this year, baby. This year we’re winning it all!”

“You say that every year.”

“No, I can feel it. This year is our year, I can tell. We got so close last season! It’s a sign! The drought is finally over!” (*the drought, in fact would not be over this year, or any year close to it. It would not be until the Summer of 2016 when Dustin is a 44-year old man that the Cubs would win a World Series. But that’s a different story.) 

“There is no way in hell tha-“

“HEY! Kids.” 

It was the umpire. 

The game had been put into time-out. 

Everyone on the field, and in the dugout were staring directly at them. Dustin tenuously glanced at their friend. She had turned around part way, and her catchers mask was up so he could see her face. Her forehead and cheeks were shiny from sweat and her face was bright red with embarrassment. She was taking large angry huffing breaths, and was staring loathingly at them for disrupting her first game of the season with their idiotic bickering.

“You’re distracting the players. Go sit on the bleachers if you wanna yell like that.” The umpire pointed with his mask over to the dilapidated bleacher seats several feet away and waited with his arms crossed as Dustin and Lucas grabbed their bikes, tried to make apologetic eye contact with Max, and rode toward the playground side of the park to continue their debate.

**Author's Note:**

> I did actual research to write this thing lol. Indiana doesn’t have an MLB team to represent them so people usually root for the Cincinnati Reds or the Chicago Cubs (depending usually on location or personal preference.) The Cubs were still DEEP in their losing streak so of course I had Dustin rooting for them. I made Lucas a Reds fan simply because it was the other option and I like it when these two fight-banter.  
> Duffer brothers own these characters, I’m just letting them get a little fun and exercise. Next I’m thinking about writing Hopper and El play catch. (Sigh, so many missed opportunities Duffers.)


End file.
